Battlefield 4 Dynamic Environments Supported By 60 Frames Per Second On Next-Gen

Earlier today, we showed you the new Battlefield 4 map, Paracel Storm. At Gamescom 2013, I played a match on the tropical island on the PlayStation 4.

Battlefield 4 feels familiar, but with the advent of next-generation hardware, it looks better than ever before. The game is running at 60 frames per second, which complements the new dynamic aspects of the map.

At the start of a match on Paracel, the sun is shining and the wind is calm. As the battle progresses, the skies darken and a storm rolls in. The changes are subtle while playing, but looking at before and after pictures reveal a stunning change.

Battlefield 4 also encourages a new level of player agency. New actions that are as simple as closing a metal container door (preferably to protect yourself from enemy gunfire) or as significant as crashing a large ship into the island provide arenas that are constantly in flux. In combination with the traditional Battlefield environmental deformation, these new opportunities to interact with the landscape offer new options when combating the enemy.

Given the condensed size of the map's landmass for a domination match, my squad moved between the three points to ensure we kept our opponents on their toes. Possessing two of the three causes the opposing team to bleed tickets, speeding their destruction. Battle pickups, purposely placed overpowerd weapons also help maintain superior position.

The verticality of the map means not just watching corners, but ensuring that enemies don't sneak up the stairs and get a height advantage. Of course, even behind cover, players aren't safe. One opponent made the mistake of hiding behind a wooden fence. Both were obliterated quickly.

Another enemy tried to stab me while I was facing him. To my surprise, I was given a brief window to click in the right thumbstick and reverse the attack. Instead of collapsing to the ground, I was able to twist the blade and stab him instead. This significantly limits those who prefer to rush their opponents for the one-hit knife kill. Melee attacks still have value, but now you'll need to be more careful about approaching from behind.

Battlefield 4 is out on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on October 29, 2013. PlayStation 4 owners will be able to pick it up when the console launches on November 15, 2013. An Xbox One release is planned for the same window.